22 It all started in Milan, where I was born, raised and attended a traditional high school. But it was in Bologna — home to the oldest university in the Western world — that I found my first real opportunity to enter the world of communications. At university, I had the privilege of studying with legendary figures such as Umberto Eco and Mauro Wolf. With Wolf, a visionary media sociologist, I wrote my thesis on Techniques of Radio and Television Language. It was the mid-1990s, and the debate around public and private broadcasting in Italy was fierce — politically, socially, and economically. Advertising was booming. It seemed like the perfect moment to launch a professional career in communications. But reality was different. At the time, Italy had no structured communications industry. No company — no matter how forwardthinking — was hiring young graduates. Career paths were vague and poorly defined — except perhaps for copywriters, art directors, and account executives in advertising. My first real challenge was figuring out how to build a peer relationship with top broadcasting decision-makers when I had no experience and no privileged contacts. So I chose journalism as my entry point, starting out at Millecanali, a monthly trade magazine widely considered the “bible” of the Italian radio and TV industry. Writing for Millecanali gave me access to both public and private broadcasters, and a front-row seat to observe an ecosystem in rapid transformation. During those years, the IT bubble exploded. Millecanali’s publishing group followed the evolution of this new market by launching new magazines, capitalizing on the wave of corporate investment in advertorials and media placements. There was growing demand for editorial content that could explain complex ideas in a simple, compelling way. For me, it was the perfect training ground — working at trade shows, developing editorial strategies, and learning how to stand out in a highly competitive space. It was during this time that I first encountered VideoAge International. I immediately appreciated its global perspective and began collaborating on projects tied to major international audiovisual events. Then came a turning point: I was invited for a short editorial residency in New York City at VideoAge’s office — previously home to the earliest iteration of Andy Warhol’s Factory. It was the perfect environment to absorb the American approach to marketing and to feed my ever-growing curiosity. Back then, the internet was still in its infancy. Still, it was a thrilling period. Allnews TV networks were emerging. Fiction production was booming all around Europe. Animation was blending with licensing, creating unexpected partnerships between East and West. Italy even contributed a global TV phenomenon: Rainbow’s Winx Club. And I was there to witness it all. A family emergency brought me back to Italy. The next decision: Milan or Bologna? I chose Bologna — even though I knew it offered fewer opportunities in my field. I needed a strategy to carve out a new professional role. That’s when I rediscovered Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy. With a project focused on promoting the legacy of Marconi — the entrepreneur who first demonstrated the possibility of wireless communication in the hills outside Bologna — I began working with local institutions. I collaborated with the Municipality of Sasso Marconi (home of the Marconi Foundation, under the Italian Ministry of Culture), the province of Bologna, and the Emilia-Romagna Region. In 2012, the municipality produced Italy’s first monthly podcast on cinema and audiovisual production for the public web radio RadioEmiliaRomagna.it. I curated the Marconi Radio Days festival, which ran for 13 editions. Our first guest was the veteran Italian journalist Enzo Biagi. Later, we welcomed RAI’s Roberto Morrione — the father of Italian allnews TV — whom I had met years earlier in New York City when he was director of RAI International. Working with a municipality also meant diving into political communications: electoral campaigns, managing social media, and crisis management — especially regarding environmental issues tied to industrial incidents. My earlier experience in IT proved valuable for adapting to the world of digital communications. I began working with companies — particularly in design, furniture, and new technologies — and also with institutions like ICEA, Italy’s national certification body for biological products. At ICEA, I managed communications during a sensitive governance transition, guiding the new board of directors through its public and internal repositioning. Then came 2020, the year of the pandemic. But also, the year I decided to bring together all my previous experiences: journalism, PR, advertising, consulting, training, events, and digital strategy. I joined the board of Pragmatika, a strategic communications and marketing agency active at the national level, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Together with my partners Rossella Lucangelo and Enrico Salsi, we support clients in sectors such as food, industry, public administration, IT, financial tech, trade associations, and medium and small companies. The main challenges: As a journalist, my main challenges were earning access and credibility, as well as learning how to ask the right questions. In the public sector, the major issues I faced were communicating effectively while preserving institutional identity. In consulting and PR, they were simplifying complexity and making invisible results visible. Key accomplishments: In journalism my key accomplishments were writing for Millecanali and collaborating with VideoAge, including the unforgettable New York City experience. In the public sector, my successes included Marconi Radio Days and producing Italy’s first podcast on cinema for public radio. In PR, my achievements were working with my amazing colleagues at Pragmatika, as well as helping businesses and organizations design effective, measurable strategies. One particularly memorable experience was coordinating communications for the Emirate of Sharjah, guest of honor at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Today, I still consider myself a journalist at heart (I’ve been officially registered since 2009). And I’m currently developing the concept for an animated series (Guglielmo the Inventor) about Marconi and the invention of wireless communication, in collaboration with the production company Pop Cult. By Enzo Chiarullo From Journalist to Press Officer to PR Agent: Challenges in Media VIDEOAGE October 2025 A Communicator’s View
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